The NSPCC has published information about protecting children from abuse by someone in a position of trust or authority. This includes teachers, care workers, youth justice workers, social workers and doctors. Topics covered include: recognising abuse; responding to concerns; and steps that can be taken to prevent staff and volunteers from abusing their position. The […]
Online child sexual abuse
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has released figures which show that 105,047 webpages showing child sexual abuse material were removed from the internet by the charity in 2018. The figures show that 4 out of 10 webpages actioned for removal displayed the sexual abuse of children aged 10-years-old and younger, with infants and babies featuring […]
Online abuse and the experience of disabled people
The House of Commons Petitions Committee has published a report, following an inquiry and consultation, looking at the level of abuse that disabled people, including disabled children, receive online. Recommendations include: the government and social media companies must directly consult with disabled people on digital strategy and hate crime law; the government needs to challenge […]
Safer Internet Day: Top tips and advice
The UK Safer Internet Centre has published top tips and advice pages for Safer Internet Day on 5 February 2019. The pages include age specific tips for children and young people about staying safe online, as well as tips and advice for parents and carers. For further information, please click here. […]
FamilyLine helpline launched
The Guardian reports on the launch of the free FamilyLine service in England and Wales to support parents and carers through telephone calls, email and text messages. For further information, please click here. […]
Call for young people to join NSPCC Online Safety Group
The NSPCC is looking for young people aged 13-18 to join their online safety advisory group, to ensure young people’s views and experiences inform NSPCC campaigns, policy work and projects to help keep children safe online. Taking part will include face to face and online discussions about issues from gaming to online grooming. If you […]
Disqualification by association: Statutory Guidance
The Department for Education (DfE) has published revised statutory guidance for schools and local authorities in England, relating to disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 which came into force on 31 August 2018. The guidance removes disqualification by association for individuals working in childcare in non-domestic settings (e.g. schools and nurseries). Disqualification by association will […]
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
The Home Office has published statistics which show that there were 2,424 asylum applications in the UK from unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) in the year ending June 2018, a 20% decrease compared to the previous year. The largest numbers of asylum applications were from Sudanese and Eritrean nationals, together accounting for over 30% of […]
New unit to tackle exploitation of vulnerable young people
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced plans for a new national response unit to help local authorities in England support vulnerable children at risk of exploitation by criminal gangs. The new unit, which will operate from 2019 up until 2022, will address child sexual exploitation together with other crimes, such as gang and drug […]
Transgender foster carers and adopters
An article in Community Care outlines tips to help social workers supporting transgender foster carers and adopters. Good practice tips include: using inclusive gender neutral language wherever possible in written materials; and not making assumptions or having fixed views about what is ‘normal’ for transgender people. Source: Community Care Date: 24 August 2018 […]